Congolese warlord claims he is 'revolutionary', not a criminal

Bosco Ntaganda, a Congo militia leader known as The Terminator, waits for the start of his trial at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands. Picture: Michael Kooren/Pool Photo via AP

The Hague, Netherlands - Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda told international judges Thursday he was a "revolutionary and not a criminal" as arguments drew to a close in his three-year war crimes trial.

Ntaganda, aged around 44, is accused of overseeing massacres of Lendu civilians by his rebel army in the Ituri region of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002 and 2003.

"I am a revolutionary, but I am not a criminal," Ntaganda told the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

He faces war crimes and crimes against humanity charges for his role in the bloody conflict wracking the mineral-rich region.

Speaking in his native Kinyarwanda tongue, the rebel commander, on the final day of the hearing, said his own testimony during his trial was "an enriching experience which I will never forget."

"I am at peace with myself. These allegations are nothing more than lies," said Ntaganda, dressed in a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and blue diamond-patterned tie.

Ntaganda again took aim at his nickname "The Terminator", which was also used by prosecutors to describe him during the trial.

"I hope that you now realise that the 'Terminator' described by the prosecutor is not me," Ntaganda said, his glasses perched on his nose.

- 'Civilians slaughtered' -

Rwandan-born Ntaganda, also an ex-general in the Congolese army, had a reputation as a charismatic leader with a penchant for cowboy hats and fine dining.

He faces 13 counts of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity as a commander of the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC).

The alleged crimes include murder, rape, sexual slavery and recruiting children under the age of 15.